The Legislature's regular session is scheduled to begin March 3, and Chiles wants members to approve the lethal-injection method in their opening weeks of debate. Top Republicans in the GOP-controlled Legislature offered no guarantees of swift approval.

Florida's use of electric chair has come under intense criticism because of fires that broke out during the execution of two inmates during the past seven years. When the chair was last used in March to execute Orlando killer Pedro Medina, flames shot from the mask covering his head and flickered for as much as 10 seconds.

A subsequent investigation ruled the electric chair was not flawed. But legal challenges by Jones led to October's Supreme Court ruling, which contained a stern warning in the event another electrocution was marred.

Of the 38 states with capital punishment, only five besides Florida require electrocution: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Nebraska and Tennessee.

Legislation already has been introduced in both the House and Senate to let Death Row inmates to choose between electrocution and lethal injection. Once the current Death Row population is depleted, future executions in Florida would be conducted using only lethal injection, under the legislation.

Chiles' letter was hailed by fellow Democrats supporting the lethal injection choice. ``This sends a very strong signal to the Florida Legislature that we must change capital punishment procedures,'' said Sen. Ron Klein, D-Boca Raton, who with Sen. Walter `Skip' Campbell, D-Tamarac, is sponsoring the lethal injection measure. ``Another mishap, and we may risk having all these death sentences converted to life in prison.''